Irish Examiner view: Hospital update gives little cause for optimism

The Oireachtas health committee was told that expenditure to date on the National Children's Hospital project has reached €1,130,409,151

The National Children's Hospital in Dublin is  not expected to become operational until 2024 at least.

The cost of the new National Children’s Hospital has already soared well beyond the €1bn mark, and it is nowhere near completion yet.

As reported this week by Niamh Griffin, the Oireachtas health committee was told that expenditure to date on the project — to the end of August this year — has reached €1,130,409,151, with the hospital not expected to become operational until 2024 at least.

The project has been dogged by challenges and controversies for years. Those range from arson — earlier this year concerns were expressed about the number of arson attacks on the site — to legal claims: Last February it was reported that BAM, the main contractor, had made almost 1,000 claims relating to the project, totalling over €540m.

Readers with long memories may even recall the original controversy surrounding the project, when it was decided almost 20 years ago to build on the current site of the Mater Hospital in Dublin, a decision that did not survive the objections of An Bord Pleanála.

With that in mind, one would be forgiven for feeling a certain amount of relief that the end is in sight, but as ever the devil is in the detail.

The Oireachtas health committee was also told this week that the contractor is “currently reporting that it will reach substantial completion” in March 2024. Connoisseurs of political rhetoric will fasten on two words in particular: ‘Currently’ and ‘substantial’.

A great deal may occur in the next 18 months which might further delay the completion of the project — events which are not ‘currently’ being taken into consideration when estimating the end date. 

And even when that end date is reached, ‘substantial’ completion is not a definitive finish to works, with a separate phase — commissioning specialised healthcare facilities — expected to begin at that point.

This badly-needed facility is still a long way from the finishing line.